State forms committee to check illegal mining

The Karnataka government today constituted a 14-member special committee to check illegal mining and export of iron ore and other minerals. The committee is headed by the director of the department of mines and geology.

A government order to this effect was issued here today by G A Adagatti, joint secretary (mines), department of industries and commerce, on the direction of the governor. The committee will be responsible for ascertaining the exact amount of iron ore mined in the state and take on record how much is exported by the respective miners and supplied to domestic steel mills. It will also take on record the data pertaining to payment of royalty to the state government by mining companies.

The committee will keep a vigil on the newly-established 13 composite check posts to control illegal transportation and export of iron ore and provide them with necessary infrastructure to perform their duties effectively. It is empowered to collect information regarding illegal mining of stone quarries also and control their activities.

It will also collect information from iron ore mining companies whenever they transport 10,000 tonnes of ore and computerise their operations. It will jointly remeasure the boundaries of all iron ore mines that are due for renewal of their mining leases. The committe has also been asked to take up joint measurement of mining areas identified by the Lokayukta in its report. Five groups will be constituted to take up the job with the help of the revenue and forest departments.

The committee will meet once in 15 days and review the situation in the state. Other members of the committee include secretaries of the departments of forest and ecology, inland administration, public works, representative of revenue department, commissioner of transport department, regional controller of Indian Bureau of Mines, member secretary of the Kanataka State Pollution Control Board, port officers of Karwar, Belekeri and New Mangalore Port Trust, joint director of mines and geology, north range, Bellary and south range in Mysore and additional director (minerals), department of mines and geology will be the member secretary.

The coordination-cumempowered committee under the chairmanship of chief secretary had announced the formation of this committee on May 5, 2010. Subsequently, the director of mines and geology had urged the state government to constitute the committee.